Chapter 268
2023 -- S 0988 AS AMENDED
Enacted 06/22/2023

A N   A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PARKING FACILITIES AND PRIVILEGES

Introduced By: Senators Lombardo, Ruggerio, Pearson, DiPalma, Zurier, Acosta, Gu, Britto, F. Lombardi, and DiMario

Date Introduced: May 15, 2023

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-28 of the General Laws entitled "Parking Facilities and
Privileges" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:
     31-28-11. Installation of electric vehicle charging stations -- Definitions.
     As used in this section and § 31-28-12, the following words shall have the following
meanings:
     (1) "Commercial" includes, but is not limited to, any parking lot servicing box stores,
grocery markets, strip malls, shopping malls, shopping centers, and hotels or motels.
     (2) "Electric vehicle charging station" (EVCS) means a public parking space that is served
by either "EV capable" or "EV ready" charging equipment.
     (3) "EV capable" means electrical vehicle charging stations that have electrical panel
capacity and space to support a minimum 40-ampere, 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit for
each EV parking space, and the installation of raceways (enclosed conduit that forms a physical
pathway for electrical wiring), both underground and surface mounted, to support electric vehicle
supply equipment (EVSE).
     (4) "EV ready" means a designated parking space with one 40-ampere, 208/240-volt
dedicated branch circuit for EVSE servicing electric vehicles. The circuit shall terminate in a
suitable termination point such as a receptacle, junction box, or an EVSE, and be located in close
proximity to the proposed location of the EV parking spaces.
     (5) "Housing" means any new, existing, or rehabilitated private housing developments with
more than twenty (20) units, that provide residential or public parking.
     (6) "Large employer" means any employer, with over one hundred (100) employees located
in a single complex, that owns and operates a parking lot for employee use.
     (7) "Municipal" means any parking lot servicing a municipal building, including, but not
limited to, schools, public safety facilities, town or city hall, library, public administration offices,
and recreational facilities.
     (8) "Public funding" means any funds including, but not limited to,: funds derived from
federal, state, or municipal sources; in-kind remuneration from any federal, state, or municipal
source; gifts or grants from any federal, state, or municipal source; revenue sharing or other federal,
state, or municipal payments of any nature,; intergovernmental transfers; tax stabilization
agreements,; revenues resulting from the sale of state or municipal bonds;, or by the sale or lease
of any property owned by the federal government, the State state of Rhode Island, and/or any
municipality of the state.
     31-28-12. Installation of electric vehicles vehicle charging stations -- Designated
parking spaces.
     (a) All new parking lots and existing lots that undergo an expansion of the number of
parking spaces by fifty percent (50%) or more, shall create designated parking spaces for electric
vehicles.
     (b) Each electric vehicle parking space shall have either an EV-ready, or EV-capable public
level 2, or DC fast charger, or a dual port charger to be shared by two (2) parking spaces.
     (c) Projects awarded or under development prior to January 1, 2024, are exempt from the
requirements of this section. Beginning January 1, 2024, the installation of electric vehicle charging
stations and the designation of parking spaces shall be required when there is:
     (1) Construction of a parking lot for a new building or new off-street parking facility;
     (2) An additional parking lot added to an addition for an existing building; or
     (3) A parking lot increased in size to add fifty percent (50%) or more parking spaces.
     (d) Commercial, municipal, large employer, and housing parking lots shall designate
electrical electric vehicle parking spaces based on the number of parking spaces provided in
accordance with the following table below. Calculations for the required number of EV spaces shall
be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES NUMBER OF REQUIRED EV SPACES
0-9 0
10-25 1
26-50 2
51-75 4
76-100 5
101-150 7
151-200 10
201 and over six percent (6%) of total
     (e) Electric vehicle parking restrictions and violations shall be enforced pursuant to the
provisions of §§ 31-21-18 and 31-41.1-4 relating to the fine imposed for electric vehicle charging
station restrictions.
     (f) The owner of any facility or business which that fails to comply with the provisions of
this section shall be subject to a penalty set and enforced by the local or state authorities on public
or private property when the location of the parking spaces is within the purview of the state
building code, chapter 27.3 of title 23.
     (g) The office of energy resources shall provide recommendations to improve electrical
electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved communities. In the development of these
recommendations, the office of energy resources may request and be furnished with information
from municipalities, an electric distribution company, the Rhode Island department of
transportation, community boards, and nonprofits representing municipal interests. The office of
energy resources shall develop these recommendations by January 31, 2024.
     (h) Municipalities shall provide the office of energy resources with semiannual reports on
the number of installed public charging stations, location of the charging stations, and total number
of charging stations in the community. The office of energy resources shall make this information
available to the public on the agency's website.
     (i) The provisions of this section shall only apply to new projects awarded subsequent to
January 1, 2024, that receive any form of public funding.
     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.
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